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London mayor bans body-shaming adverts on public transport

Because Londoners are officially 'beach body ready' all year round.

Adverts that “demean people, particularly women” will be banned from London’s public transport networks, just one year on from the controversy around Protein World’s “Are you beach body ready?” posters.

Introducing Transport for London’s (TfL) new advertising policy, the new London mayor Sadiq Khan is taking a strong stand against marketing that pressurises people, especially women and young girls, to conform to rigid and unhealthy physical standards.

In an interview with
the Evening Standard
, he said: “As the father of two teenage girls, I am extremely concerned about this kind of advertising which can demean people, particularly women, and make them ashamed of their bodies. It is high time it came to an end.

“Nobody should feel pressurised, while they travel on the Tube or bus, into unrealistic expectations surrounding their bodies and I want to send a clear message to the advertising industry about this.”

While the change is not a direct response to Protein World’s notorious advertising campaign, the weight-loss company’s ‘beach body ready’ posters would now fall under the ban.

Promoting a meal replacement supplement to ‘help’ women make their bodies acceptable for a trip to the beach, the posters triggered a widespread backlash.

While some see Transport for London’s decision as overly paternalistic, many welcome the move as a step towards a healthier culture around beauty and body image. A change in advertising policy won’t solve the problem overnight, but it’s a powerful sign that the London mayor takes the impact of body-shaming seriously - just in time for summer.